Counterintuitive Fall 2024

The Pro’s and Con’s of Art Therapy

It can be argued how to apply art therapy towards patients, it can also be disputed whether or not these tactics even work at all. Different behavioral issues, life circumstances, and obstacles all require different types of therapy in order to address the individual. Is art therapy capable of being applicable to everybody?

We have seen a vast majority of studies point towards art therapy being beneficial in aiding the mental health issues seen in youths. Art therapy is not solely used as the main form of therapy most of the time, rather an additional practice towards one’s ongoing treatment. But not everybody is equipped to gain a positive experience from this practice, as with any other form of therapy, some are more widely applicable towards certain conditions with others.

In a Health Technology Assessment study revolving around the impacts of art therapy, it is seen that not all of the patients were positively impacted. While it was not deemed directly harmful, some patients claimed they simply did not see any effects, on either the positive or negative spectrum, that could play towards how they were impacted emotionally from art therapy. 

“More serious concerns included art therapy causing anxiety, increasing pain, and resulting in the activation of emotions that were not resolved. In one study, a participant was also concerned that art therapy may be harmful if the art therapist was not skilled. A final concern was that it may be harmful if art therapy is suddenly terminated. These findings were seen across only two studies, both in patients with cancer.”

Many individuals have certain comforts and outlets when it comes to taking a vulnerable stance with their emotions. In this example pulled from study, the third chapter discussed how some recipients had concerns revolving around the therapist themselves, as in whether or not they would feel comfortable. This correlates to almost any therapeutic practice, the most critical thing first hand is the bond or the relationship between the patient and the therapist. In practicing art therapy, the fear of connecting with a therapist is one shared amongst any other therapist from any other field or practice. Whether it is all communicative based or expressive, a client-doctor relationship is always one of the main concerns in determining a patient’s comfort. 

In an article Art in Times of Crisis by Edtya Zielinska, it discusses an art therapist named Rachel Brandoff and how she utilizes this therapy practice, and how she is able to connect it with clients. This example from the article shows first hand how art therapy’s success is heavily stressed upon how the therapist works with their clientele, in this case, a group of people struggling with domestic violence.

“As the weeks progressed, the projects became more complex and more intertwined with other members of the family: perhaps each person would make a component of a single piece. The final work was something they’d create as a team. They had the ability to plan and strategize, to communicate and negotiate, and they had the opportunity to get better at these skills. They had to work out their way of working together. This takes practice. What if someone in the family had all the voice? How does everyone get heard? There isn’t a single right way to be a family.  My job was to help them find their best way. Therapy is often about training to better handle the challenges in life, and in art therapy we can create smaller problems that aren’t life-interrupting and use that as a practice ground.”

Many of these practices’ main critics are those who tend to be the more self critical, and cannot draw the line between doing something for a project versus for your own benefit. Hence why many stop art around age 11, when we begin to develop harsher criticisms of ourselves. But like the study and Rachel Brandoff’s practices, they were able to see how the therapist themselves does much of the work for their clients in being able to differentiate how art is used recreationally, goal oriented, and therapeutically. 

Art therapy is under the same criticism we see in therapists who just want to sit and talk with their clientele, it does not apply towards everyone’s capacity towards expressing emotions. 

Rachel Brandoff further emphasizes this; 

“I’ve heard many people say that they don’t want to have to tell their whole story all over again. But we do that all the time in life anyway, and in therapy you can tell what you want in your own way. In art therapy, you don’t even have to tell it.”

This type of practice is not the traditional orthodox forms of therapy that we have seen being used as a foundation for mental health and trauma treatment for decades. This type of therapy is an evolution of what we used to see, in order to alleviate the stressors and some of the harder parts of communicating. While it is possible for negative experience, this therapeutic method is still more widely applicable towards adolescents than solely using other forms of psychotherapy. This problem solving is less direct with confronting a patient’s emotions, hence why it is easier for the perception of its effectiveness to be warped, as sometimes the slow buildup seen in this practice does not come with major revelations that may prompt one to see progress directly.

Therapy is different for all of its subjects, and there are many factors that play into how one may portray it, whether or not they are susceptible to outstanding contributing factors. Of course a practice cannot apply to everyone, whether it’s your internal susceptibility or the therapists’ doing, it is frequently common for people to not want to complete therapy programs, giving a stain on many’s perceptions on looking for help. The public’s opinion stemming from this is what has created an overshadowing about how if applied correctly, Art therapy can be applied across a variation of ages as well as behavioral issues. 

Refrences

Uttley L, Scope A, Stevenson M, et al. Systematic review and economic modelling of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of art therapy among people with non-psychotic mental health disorders. Southampton (UK): NIHR Journals Library; 2015 Mar. (Health Technology Assessment, No. 19.18.) Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279634/ doi: 10.3310/hta19180

Zielinska, E. (2020, June 23). Art in times of crisis. The Nexus. https://nexus.jefferson.edu/health/art-in-times-of-crisis/

Bad Foundations

Shortsightedness is a plague to just about every industry, social, and political structure known to man and the gaming industry is no different. Whether it be Congress enacting spotty laws to find a quick solution to a complex issue, a student waiting till the last minute to start studying for exams, or a game company deciding it needs another revenue stream so more microtransactions are added. The source of the shortsightedness varies through industry, but a similar thought process is clear throughout these situations “If it’s working right now why should I stop?”. “it’s not sustainable” is the answer and that’s something that is a really hard process especially when it’s working so well and making you so much money and getting you awards for how successful it is. The fact of the matter is that games will never die even if the industry crumbles. The games industry right now is growing yes, the big-budget titles are being reviewed well and selling well yes, but none of that is indefinite, not with shaky foundations and brittle pillars made from shortsightedness. Building upon such foundations leads to an inevitable fall no matter how well the industry and its supporters think it’s doing, it will be slow and dreadful, but it will fall, nonetheless. Pillars will crumble and foundations will shift under the weight of the need for industry to reach for bigger and better things and it will be over.

On October 20^th, 2023, Spider-man 2 by Insomniac Games was released for the PlayStation Five the latest console by Sony Games and broke the record for the fastest-selling PlayStation exclusive title with its previous holder being the Last of Us Part 2. According to Stephen Tolio of Gaming “ The development and marketing budget for Spider-Man 2 isn’t public, but if its first 2.5 million copies sold for at least $70 each, that’d be a $175 million first-day haul.”. It certainly is an impressive number in a vacuum, and it broke a record on its first day and has no doubt made much more since its release. This should prove that gaming isn’t in trouble but that’s not the case. Since we don’t know how much it took to make the game, we can only make an estimate based on a range of fifty to a hundred fifty million dollars as provided by the CMA (competition and markets authority), this is the general range of a cost of a triple a title made in the past five years so we can use this a basis to make an educated guess with the information that the fist spider-man from insomniac costing a hundred million dollars we can say that spider-man 2 cost was in the upper elechon of triple a game cost but why does this matter?  

While games are growing their cost is growing faster according to Ray Ampoloqiuo from  x.fire.com which uses an anonymous tip to show how much a game would cost this year “ An unnamed large studio reported to the CMA that major franchises can cost 660 million to develop and around 550 million to market.” While games are growing that doesn’t automatically mean that growth is going to be enough to make up the cost and with these titles taking years to make it’s a gamble for investors to put so much into something they must wait so long to hopefully see the results they’re hoping for and what happens if they do not? They stop investing and look for a surer thing to put their money into and because investor money is now intertwined with the industry companies need to make sure their games make bank. In a perfect world, the relationship between the games industry, employees, and customer base should be a harmonious one where everyone is benefiting from each other’s growth but in the cold reality that’s not the case. Game companies care more about making the bottom line than they do their employees and customer base because it should make sense and a successful game should be enough to continue development, but it isn’t. Microtransactions, battle passes, and DLC (downloadable content) are a symptom of this need to be successful in the eyes of the investors.

Oliva Lowden at BBC research  claims that the increased improvement of technology and the arrival of a newer-more technology-connected generation will help gaming to continue to grow in the future. “Over the next few years, video gaming hardware will experience major updates, allowing for more creative game design, more immersive graphics, and an enhanced overall experience. As technology improves, gamers will continue to invest in new games and consoles – and new gamers will also enter the mixer.” While I do agree that the arrival of new and improved hardware will allow for more unique innovation and better graphics to tantalize players it will only perpetuate the same problems the games industry has been facing. Crunch destroys people and careers and it is not exactly a secret that the games industry is host to some of the worst crunch out of any industry in an article by the Washington post it is said that over 40 percent of full-time game developers and 63 percent of freelancers crunch on top of their normal work schedule and the most egregious crunch stories come from triple a developers who would have access to the improved technology first.  In continues order to implement those innovations and fine-tune the graphics it takes a great amount of manpower, manpower these companies are bleeding dry either because of layoffs or crunch. As the demand for bigger and better continues so too does the budget and the pressure on employees to deliver on those bigger better things the industry cannibalizes itself finally falling from the tower they’ve built on the bad foundations of its shortsighted decisions.

                                                              References  

Ampoloquio, R. (2023, October 23). AAA games can reportedly cost over a billion to make in 2023. Xfire. https://www.xfire.com/aaa-games-cost-over-billion/

Lowden, O. (2023, November 15). The video games industry is still growing – but why? https://blog.bccresearch.com/video-games-industry-is-still-growing-but-why

Totillo , S. (2023). Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is Sony’s “Fastest-selling” PlayStation game – axios. Axios Gaming . https://www.axios.com/2023/10/23/marvels-spiderman-2-playstation-sales

WP Company. (2021, March 24). Why is the games industry so burdened with crunch? it starts with labor laws. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2021/03/24/crunch-laws/

Money over Medical

The US healthcare system is very different from other countries. One significant difference could be cost or accessibility for citizens. The US healthcare system has been developing new ways to keep all Americans healthy and cost-efficient. One of the many ways US healthcare has done this is through urgent care, retail health clinics, and health insurance for those who can afford it. Having these clinics and insurance for the everyday American makes it much easier and less stressful for many people to stay healthy and have many resources when they become sick. 

Urgent care and retail health clinics have many benefits for them. From accessibility due to the many locations of both and the areas in which they are located. Many Americans find these clinics and doctors to be one of the first places they will visit for their sickness. They also are known for their quickness and time efficiency. From personal experience with these places, they are sometimes not the quickest, but they serve well for small things like a cold, the flu, or minor injuries. However, how can the average American get the services they need without insurance when they are forced to go to the hospital for something more significant like a broken leg or sickness? Although there are many avenues for Americans to choose from when they become sick or injured, sometimes the hospital or calling an ambulance is the only option. The average cost of an ambulance ride in the US is around $1,000. That is for both insured and uninsured Americans. Even with insurance, many Americans find themselves only calling an ambulance if it is a life-or-death situation due to the high costs of the ambulance. 

Urgent care can only provide so much for the everyday American needing a doctor’s visit. It comes down to the costs of a simple checkup compared to something more serious that costs an arm and a leg at the ER. This is one of the most significant downfalls in the US healthcare system. Americans without health insurance find themselves in a panic when they have a severe injury or sickness that forces them to go to the hospital or need surgery. Many Americans have loads of medical bills due to the high costs of the healthcare system throughout the US. The article, “90% of Americans With Medical Debt On Their Credit Report Face Setbacks; New Rules May Help”, states, “In a survey of 1,000 American adults conducted by Tebra, a medical practice management company, 25% of respondents reported that they’d had unpaid medical bills show up on their credit reports. Of those, 91% reported having experienced financial setbacks as a result.” These medical bills are pilling up on Americans who are insured and uninsured. How is this possible with all the great insurances that are supposed to be helping Americans stay healthy, yet they are causing many of them to have set backs? It also states in the article, “…$88 billion in medical debt clogged up Americans’ credit reports and medical debt a top source of consumer complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Burreau (CFPB), any relief should be welcome news to millions of Americans” 88 billion dollars of medical debt across the board for Americans is absurd. This is absurd because many other countries have free healthcare that their citizens can access anytime. 

Unfortunately, not all Americans can afford health insurance, which causes these Americans to go a different route than most may go when becoming sick. The article “The Growing Epidemic of Uninsurance: New Data on the Health Insurance Coverage of Americans” states, “Since 1989, the ranks of the uninsured have swelled by 6.3 million.” 6.3 million Americans have to deal with the cost of health care due to not having insurance every day. While many insured Americans visit their primary doctor when sick, this is not true for everyone. When the cost comes into play, it can be a significant factor to consider too many. Although there seem to be many benefits to urgent care and retail health clinics, there are far too many downfalls that come with it, from the cost to the effectiveness of these types of places. The US government is doing its best to provide as many healthcare resources as possible, such as urgent care, retail health clinics, etc. However, this can only help so much to better US healthcare overall. The article “Health expenditures in the U.S. – statistics & facts” states, “The United States spends more on health care than any other country. Annual health expenditures stood at over 4.2 trillion U.S. dollars in 2021, and personal health care expenditure equaled 10,784 U.S. dollars per resident.” The US government spends over 10,000 dollars per citizen, yet people are still struggling to make ends meet, and many US citizens have medical bills that are piling up. It is also stated in the article, “Americans now spend twice as much on Healthcare as they did in the 1980s,” that “The average American household spent almost $5,000 per person on health care last year.” This average annual cost is taken from Americans with and without insurance. That means some Americans find themselves to be spending much more than $5,000 a year. How can this be when the US government spends upwards of 4.2 trillion dollars a year on the US healthcare system?

References

Hellander I, Moloo J, Himmelstein DU, Woolhandler S, Wolfe SM. The Growing Epidemic of Uninsurance: New Data on the Health Insurance Coverage of Americans. International Journal of Health Services. 1995;25(3):377-392. doi:10.2190/AQTP-FLAQ-PWXN-DYMR

(2023, November 13). 90% of Americans With Medical Debt on Their Credit Report Face Setbacks. Forbes. 90% Of Americans With Medical Debt On Their Credit Report Face Setbacks (forbes.com)

(2023, October 24). Health Expenditures in the U.S. Statista. Health expenditures in the U.S. – statistics & facts | Statista

“Defending the Classroom: Rebutting the Strongest Arguments Against Traditional Schooling”

My thesis argues in favor of traditional schooling over homeschooling, with exceptions made for individuals with disabilities. While acknowledging the diversity of opinions on this matter, the strongest rebuttal to my position often revolves around the claim that homeschooling provides a more tailored and flexible educational experience.

Tailored Education in Homeschooling One common counterargument asserts that homeschooling allows for a more personalized and tailored educational experience. Advocates argue that parents can customize the curriculum to meet the specific needs and interests of their children, fostering a deeper understanding of subjects.

While customization is a valid point, it is essential to consider the potential limitations. Not all parents possess the expertise or resources to provide a comprehensive education in every subject. Additionally, the absence of exposure to diverse teaching styles and perspectives in a traditional classroom setting may hinder a student’s ability to adapt to different learning environments in the future.

Flexible Schedule in Homeschooling Another significant contention is that homeschooling offers a more flexible schedule, allowing students to learn at their own pace and explore other non-academic interests.

While flexibility is an advantage, it is crucial to acknowledge that a structured learning environment has its benefits. Traditional schools prepare students for the rigors of adhering to schedules and deadlines, an essential skill in various professional and academic settings. Moreover, the social aspects of a fixed school routine contribute to the development of crucial interpersonal skills.

Individualized Attention in Homeschooling Some argue that homeschooling allows for better individualized attention, ensuring that each child’s unique learning style is addressed more effectively than in a crowded classroom.

While individualized attention is valuable, it’s important to recognize that traditional schools can also provide support through special education programs, tutoring, and differentiated instruction. Moreover, exposure to diverse peers in a classroom setting enhances social skills, empathy, and the ability to collaborate a vital aspect of success in the real world.

In conclusion, while homeschooling may offer certain advantages in terms of tailored education, flexible schedules, and individualized attention, it is crucial to weigh these against the benefits of traditional schooling. A well-rounded education encompasses not only academic knowledge but also the development of social skills, adaptability, and exposure to diverse perspectives. My thesis remains robust, emphasizing that, in most cases, traditional schooling provides a more comprehensive and beneficial educational experience.

Criticisms of the innocence Project

The innocence project has a widespread claim for its dedication to exonerating, wrongfully convicted, individuals, and also advocating for social justice reforms. But just like any other influential organization, it has a lot of criticism and skepticism in various forms from people. Some people critique the level levels against the innocence project, addressing concerns related to its method hoods. The impact on the criminal justice system and border implications for societal attitudes towards law and order.

One of the main circumstances that involves the innocence project is in selective DNA cases where DNA evidence can be used to prove innocence. People and critics argue that this narrow approach may create a skewed perception of these people that were wrongfully convicted, and it also addresses a subset case where biological evidence is available. The innocence project predominantly only takes cases involving DNA evidence this focus is not arbitrary. DNA evidence provides an objective and a method for establishing innocence or guilt and can help bring someone who was wrongfully convicted innocent. The innocence emphasized in DNA cases is a strategic choice driven by the need for concentrated evidence to be overturned, so they can overturn the conviction. This is harder for the innocence project, but is what their main goal is and this is what they really strive for because it is a major thing and a lot of people do get wrongfully convicted because of misuse of DNA evidence or just used equipment. The success and impacts of the innocent project in DNA cases has paved a very successful way into the criminal justice reforms because of how successful and good they are at what they do. The organization has exposed many systematic issues and flaws, such as the flaws and forensic practice and legal representation and the misconduct within the criminal justice system. The innocence project targeting DNA cases has initiated a border conversation about the needs for the somatic changes that would benefit all the individuals within the system that were flawed, not just the ones with DNA that is accessible and is still there.

The innocence project disproportionately highlights cases involving prosecutorial misconduct, creating an unbalanced narrative. That under means the credibility for the entire criminal justice system. The innocence project does bring a lot of attention to cases involving prosecutorial misconduct, because the public likes to hear and see these cases because it is the system being wrong. It does not suggest that all prosecutors engage in ethical behavior, but instead the organization seeks to hold those accountable who abused their authority, and violated the principles of justice, that they swore to. They do this by exposing incidents where prosecute misconduct happens in cases, the innocence project aims to promote systemic change and increase accountability within the legal profession. It is essential to knowledge that the majority of prosecutors are dedicated to upholding the law ethically, but sometimes do not. By addressing this concern and misconduct where it occurs, they contribute to build a more transparent and trustworthy criminal justice system.

Some critics argue that the works of the innocence projects by highlighting incidents of wrongful convictions and misconduct, may inadvertently contribute to public distrust in the legal system. This skepticism could undermine the foundation of the justice system, and a broad public confidence and is a major problem. Well, the statement is true that the innocence project works can expose the flaws within the legal system, and their goal is not to erode the public trust but to strengthen its trust through them being accountable and also through reforms. The innocence project thinks by addressing this issue it encourages more en formed and critical public perspective, and the public will be more aware of what is happening, if these changes are made. Public trust in the legal system is one of the most important things and you never want that to go the wrong way. It is critical for a healthy relationship between the public and the legal system but it is also important to point out the imperfections within the system so that they can be brought up and fixed the innocence project effort to shed light on wrongful convictions contributes to the more understanding of the justice system, fostering information rather than just a blind skepticism.

Another  concern leveled against the innocence project Is it perceived lack of attention to the victims, and their families in the cases of these wrongful convictions. People argue that the organizations primary focus on the wrongfully convicted, may only neglect the impact on those who have suffered due to the crimes. Not only the people that are serving the time for that crime but also their families, and how impacted their community. The innocence project is not oblivious to the pain and suffering of the victims and their families. Its mission is rooted in justice, which is not only the exoneration of the wrongfully convicted, but also addressing the true perpetrator of the crimes. They advocate for accurate investigations and fair, legal proceedings. The innocence project contributes to ensuring that the guilty are held accountable, and the innocent are freed. The innocence project recognizes the importance of supporting victims and their families throughout the exoneration process. The organization is actively involved in post exoneration efforts to help individuals. Reentry into society and seek the support they need. The innocence project’s primary mission is to correct injustices the organization remains, sensitive to the multifaceted impact of wrongful convictions.

In conclusion, the criticism directed at the innocence projects without the marriage, should be viewed within the border contacts of its contribution to criminal justice reform. The organizations focused on DNA cases, exposure of the prosecutor, misconduct and potential impact on public trust. They also put a lot of attention into the victims’ families, and the victims themselves. The organization in all areas are well balanced; the innocence project can address these concerns while maintaining its commitment to Justice accountability and systemic change within the criminal justice system. The organization ultimately works as a critical force for positive transformation, challenging the statute, quote and advocating for more people that were wrongfully committed, and for a reliable justice and legal system.

Resources

The Innocence Project. “Research Resources.” Innocence Project, 10 May 2023, innocenceproject.org/research-resources/. 

LaPorte, Gerald M., et al. “Wrongful Convictions and DNA Exonerations: Understanding the Role of Forensic Science.” National Institute of Justice, 7 Sept. 2017, nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/wrongful-convictions-and-dna-exonerations-understanding-role-forensic-science. 

Ferrerro, Eric, and The Innocence Project. “U.S. Department of Justice Failing to Enforce Critical Forensic Oversight, New Innocence Project Report Finds.” Innocence Project, innocenceproject.org/u-s-department-of-justice-failing-to-enforce-critical-forensic-oversight-new-innocence-project-report-finds/. Accessed 25 Nov. 2023.